Negative Impact on Literature Instilled in Youth Due to Educational System

By Monserrath Angel

We start off by reading fun picture book fairytales in a circle with our classmates in preschool and in our own homes. However, once we reach elementary school, we are put to have annual standardized tests, scored based on how well we can comprehend different texts given to us. Instead, students prioritize the lexile level they are given rather than really engaging in literature. Students are pressured into meeting the levels of their peers that they are rushed into memorizing material rather than actually being sat down with a teacher one on one and understanding the learning style of each student. Outdated material and/or teaching methods are a major problem. 

Keeping up with the curriculum is a leading factor of losing interest in school. Students become disengaged as they struggle to understand the material or keep up with the pace of the class. Leading to lower grades and a lack of motivation to learn. (“Why do Students Lose Interest In School?”) Losing interest in learning material in school keeps students from keeping up with their peers. Disengaged students are more likely to have lower grades because of the lack of motivation they have to learn. 

Most if not all engineering students face various challenges in higher education. For example, disengagement and lack of ownership. (Hauzel et al.) This journal is aimed specifically toward college/university students majoring in engineering. It highlights the lack of ownership and motivation in learning. Although this journal is about young adults, outdated material that bores young elementary schoolers creates unhealthy learning habits like procrastination and not having motivation to complete goals/tasks. These habits will go on for the rest of their school career. 

Tactics such as only reading as a result of being told, staring blankly at pages, using the restroom during reading time, etc. (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2009). Oftentimes, this is the mindset of students reading traditional literature in classes. Compared to when students are given engaging reading materials, such as books and texts they are interested in, they have a more positive response and are more likely to read out of enjoyment rather than necessity (Stevens, 2016).